Idol of the Heavenly One - vanish into fiction

As soon as we arrived in China, I was put on my second IV drip. With the line still connected to my arm, my makeup and hairstyling began at the same time. The other members had gone to the salon since dawn, but I was getting ready from the local accommodation instead. In four hours, we would have to head out for the fan signing event, so sitting there holding the arm with the needle still in it just felt absurd. I couldn’t help but think, what kind of life is this? Still, I didn’t show how exhausted I was. It was enough that I was the only one having a hard time. I knew better than anyone that my condition was already making things more difficult for others.

The hair and makeup teams came rushing in to start on me. As my makeup grew thicker, my pale complexion was hidden, but my fatigue couldn’t be covered. Honestly, I wanted nothing more than to collapse onto a bed and sleep the entire day away. But that wasn’t an option. This was work, and work meant I had to do it, no matter how sick or tired I was. In the end, my job was to stand on stage and sit in front of fans.

If I were just nineteen-year-old Ji Myeong-hyeon, I don’t think I could be thinking this way. A while ago, I sent a message to my mom saying we’d arrived safely and that I was fine. If I were that nineteen-year-old version of myself, I probably would have called her crying, saying I was sick.

“Don’t do the fan sign items today, Myeong-hyeon. Just sit there.”

After finishing up his own look, Joo I-rip talked briefly with the manager, then came over and said that firmly to me.

“Is that okay though…?”

For a moment, I was puzzled.

Fan sign items refer to the cosplay props fans put on their favorite members—cat ears, dog ears, frilly aprons, even magical girl wands. It’s something idols are expected to do, so I always accepted everything with a smile. But now he was telling me not to do any of that and just sit still. I couldn’t help but worry that the fans might feel disappointed.

Reading the hesitation on my face, Joo I-rip added, “If anyone asks you to, I’ll tell them I’ll do it instead.”

My chest tightened a little. Joo I-rip, who usually only joked around or nagged, was suddenly saying something so protective. I thought to myself that even a broken clock is right twice a day, but honestly, I was touched.

“Then, just for today. Thanks.”

There was no other way. If we were still in Korea, I might have tried to push through until the end, but the crowd at the airport and the long flight had already drained my strength. I knew I couldn’t push myself any further, so I nodded.

“I’ll help too.”

“Me too.”

“Same here!”

At Joo I-rip’s words, the other members all raised their hands one after another. Hee-min, Soonbok, and Ji-hak smiled and nodded at me. They added playful jokes here and there, but I could feel the sincerity beneath them.

So this is what it feels like to be cared for like this. I really am part of this team. My throat felt a little warm.

“What about you, Baek Jae-heon?”

At that moment, while everyone was volunteering to help, one person stayed silent. Joo I-rip narrowed his eyes and looked his way with that clear, persistent gaze of his.

Through the mirror, I saw Baek Jae-heon sitting with his legs crossed, scrolling on his phone with an indifferent expression.

“…”

Feeling Joo I-rip’s stare, Jae-heon gave a faint smirk, turned his head, and looked straight at me through the mirror. Our eyes met.

“What’s the point of asking?”

A short, blunt reply.

His tone was casual, almost careless, yet there was an unmistakable hint of of course I will in it.

When we arrived at the fan signing venue, the place was already filled with heat and excitement. The long line of fans stretching outside, the banners and slogans waving in the air—all of it came into view through the car window. Seeing that scene gave me a small burst of strength. Even when my body was at its limit, just knowing there were people waiting made me take another step forward.